After months of planning, organizing, and fundraising, dozens of students at Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute (CVI) put on a Relay for Life event in collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society on Friday.
During the event, participating teams must always have at least one team member walking around the track until the event’s conclusion.
The students aimed to raise $18,000 over the course of their fundraising efforts, which began in March.
They have surpassed that goal, and raising close to $20,000.
The relay was organized by Grade 11 students Breanna Bruce and Olivia Ponka, who served as co-chairs for the event, and Libby Kellar, who worked as the Head of Logistics.
“It does get a bit rocky planning big events like this, but I think we really pulled through,” says Kellar of the process, “we’ve all become so much closer because of this experience, and I think that’s what it’s all about. It’s making new friends, learning new things, and just doing something good for the community and people around you.”
Bruce mentions that this is the sixth year in a row that Superior CVI has put on a Relay For Life.
“It has been such an honour to plan this event,” Bruce adds, “It has been such a long journey, but such a rewarding one to have raised over what we had original planned to do.”
Ponka has a personal motivation for participating in the fundraiser.
“Cancer has had such a big impact on my life and my family,” she explains, “and I just wanted to do something that felt like I was giving back to that.”
The co-chair has a family history of breast cancer on her mother’s side.
She says that “a lot of these very influential women in my family have pushed me to continue to do this, and I find that a very powerful thing… I think it’s so important to just remember why we’re doing this and what this money is going towards.”
